Alabama Guard's 46th CST Trains with the US Coast Guard

Mobile, Ala.- Since the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 (9-11), local, state and federal agencies have broadened their training exercises to depict various scenarios that are an increasing threat to the U.S. democracy and its citizen's way of life.

Terrorist groups continue to upgrade and modify their weapons and execution methods while continuously searching for new and unexpected targets.

In recent news, pirates of Somalia hijacked the Maersk Alabama, an American cargo supertanker loaded with $100 million dollars worth of oil. The commander of the ship, Richard Phillips, 53, surrendered himself to the pirates in order to save the lives of his crewmembers. Phillips was later rescued by U.S. Navy snipers.

In light of such attacks, it is imperative to implement training measures that counter these groups and their threats.

Soldiers with the Alabama National Guard's 46th Civil Support Team (CST) recently worked such a threat scenario with the 41st CST from Kentucky, the 43rd CST from South Carolina, the Alabama National Guard's Aviation Security and Support Detachment, the U.S. Coast Guard out of Mobile, Ala., and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The scenario revolved, which fulfilled two National Guard Bureau (NGB) training requirements, around a relief-in-place and maritime operations exercise held in Mobile, Ala.

"This is a great opportunity for us to learn from other agencies and to display what the CST is capable of doing," said 46th CST Commander, Lt. Col. Rick Pelham.

The scenario, Operation Flying Dutchman, was drafted and monitored by U.S. Army North Command's Civil Support Readiness Group-East. The scenario overview stated that an international terrorist group boarded and seized control of the cruise liner, the State of Maine, which was heading to dry-dock for renovations and repairs.

After losing contact with the cruise liner, the U.S. Coast Guard located the missing ship approximately two miles from U.S. Coast Guard Sector Mobile. The Coast Guard personnel were fired upon as they approached the ship to investigate.

The FBI had been monitoring correspondence from a domestic group with links to international terrorist over the past year. The FBI reported the group bragging about their acquisition of precursor for chemical warfare groups. These included small arms, bomb making materials, and radioactive isotopes.

With such information, the FBI immediately alerted the 46th CST, an FBI special weapons and tactics team (SWAT), and U.S. Coast Guard Strike team of the hostile situation at the State of Maine.

The 46th's objectives were to conduct ship boarding operations safely and define standards, to establish ship boarding tactics, techniques and procedures, to build a working relationship with the U.S. Coast Guard Strike team, and to conduct deliberate relief-in-place operations safely and define standards.

Pelham said he was very pleased with the outcome of the training. "We've conducted exercises on the U.S.S. Alabama, so our guys were prepared to navigate such difficult spaces," explained Pelham.

That evening the 46th was relieved by Kentucky's 41st CST. Pelham says this was the first time for the 46th to work with the Kentucky team. "Our goal is to work with as many teams in our sector as possible," said Pelham.

The Kentucky team was later relieved by South Carolina's 43rd CST on the next day.

According to Lennox Campbell, division chief for the Civil Support Readiness Group-East, the exercise was designed to enhance better working relations with other agencies, to develop tactics, techniques and procedures for ship board or maritime operations, and to successfully conduct relief-in-place operations.

Campbell has been training with the 46th for seven years. "The 46th is very professional," said Campbell. "They take their job very seriously."